Project 1: Impacts of Technology
The impacts of technology are experienced everyday. One wakes up to the sound of an alarm clock and begins his or her day in a technological world. Technology encompasses many things; it is hard to even imagine our lives without technology. In this project, students will learn to recognize different technologies and differentiate their positive and negative effects.
Design Brief: Impacts of Technology
Background
It seems as though new technologies have been popping up everywhere lately. Tech Knows Spy Inc. is a spy agency that goes out in search of the most recent inventions and tracks their progress and effects on the world. They look at old developments, such as the internal combustion engine, and see how they have affected our world. They look at the good, the bad, and the impossible. Tech Knows Spy Inc. charts the social, political, cultural, and economic impacts of the inventions. They also predict what will happen with new and old inventions later on down the road.
Problem Statement
You have recently been hired by Tech Knows Spy Inc. to find the most recent invention and report on its impacts. In one week, you will report back to the CEO and founder of Tech Knows Spy Inc., Mr. Tech Knows Everybody. Your job and the fate of the world could depend on your findings and presentation. It is imperative that you inform Mr. Tech K. Everybody of the impacts so he may inform the rest of the world. You may use any of the materials in the technology lab or materials from home.
Challenge
Use various resources to search for current inventions/innovations. Search for their positive and negative impacts on society, the environment, different cultures, and the economy. Create a presentation for Mr. Tech K. Everybody explaining your findings and what you predict might become of this invention. Your research should specifically address technology and assessments that pertain to the following:
Requirements
The presentation must be 3-5 minutes. Supplemental materials must be used. (i.e. PowerPoint presentation, charts, pictures etc.) A report of your findings should be submitted at the time of the presentation. Make sure to address all aspects of the invention’s impacts on our world and lives.
Design Brief: Impacts of Technology
Background
It seems as though new technologies have been popping up everywhere lately. Tech Knows Spy Inc. is a spy agency that goes out in search of the most recent inventions and tracks their progress and effects on the world. They look at old developments, such as the internal combustion engine, and see how they have affected our world. They look at the good, the bad, and the impossible. Tech Knows Spy Inc. charts the social, political, cultural, and economic impacts of the inventions. They also predict what will happen with new and old inventions later on down the road.
Problem Statement
You have recently been hired by Tech Knows Spy Inc. to find the most recent invention and report on its impacts. In one week, you will report back to the CEO and founder of Tech Knows Spy Inc., Mr. Tech Knows Everybody. Your job and the fate of the world could depend on your findings and presentation. It is imperative that you inform Mr. Tech K. Everybody of the impacts so he may inform the rest of the world. You may use any of the materials in the technology lab or materials from home.
Challenge
Use various resources to search for current inventions/innovations. Search for their positive and negative impacts on society, the environment, different cultures, and the economy. Create a presentation for Mr. Tech K. Everybody explaining your findings and what you predict might become of this invention. Your research should specifically address technology and assessments that pertain to the following:
- Changes caused by technology can range from gradual to rapid and from subtle to obvious.
- Making decisions about the use of technology involves weighing the tradeoffs between the positive and negative effects.
- Ethical considerations are important in the development, selection, and use of technology.
- Decisions regarding the implementation of technologies involve the weighing of tradeoffs between predicted positive and negative effects on the environment.
- The decision whether to develop a technology is influenced by societal opinions and demands, in addition to corporate cultures.
- A number of different factors, such as advertising, the strength of the economy, the goals of a company and the latest fads contribute to shaping the design of and demand for various technologies.
- Most technological development has been evolutionary, the result of a series of refinements to a basic invention.
- The evolution of civilization has been directly affected by, and has in turn affected, the development and use of tools and materials.
- Throughout history, technology has been a powerful force in reshaping the social, cultural, political, and economic landscape.
- Synthesize data, analyze trends, and draw conclusions regarding the effect of technology on the individual, society, and the environment.
- Use assessment techniques, such as trend analysis and experimentation to make decisions about the future development of technology.
- Identify the careers that relate to the technologies you research, list them in the career section of your portfolio, and describe each in that section of the portfolio.
Requirements
The presentation must be 3-5 minutes. Supplemental materials must be used. (i.e. PowerPoint presentation, charts, pictures etc.) A report of your findings should be submitted at the time of the presentation. Make sure to address all aspects of the invention’s impacts on our world and lives.